Women set new record

Olympic Games: Organisers of the Sydney 2000 Olympic Games have set an Olympic record of their own by allowing an unprecedented number of women to compete.

Organisers said on Wednesday that the Sydney Games would boast a record 3,906 women athletes, despite fielding 423 fewer athletes overall than the 1996 Atlanta Games, the largest ever.

A total of 10,321 athletes from 200 countries and territories will compete for 300 gold medals in Sydney, they said.

The number of medal events is up from Atlanta's 271, and the 200 teams will beat the 197 that took part in Atlanta.

The number of women athletes compares with 3,683 in Atlanta. The number of men has been cut from 7,061 to 6,416 and will represent 62 percent of the total.

Two new sports have been added to the Sydney programme, taekwondo and triathlon, which are both open to women and men.

Women will be allowed to compete for the first time in a number of sports and disciplines, including water polo, pole vault, hammer, modern pentathlon and weightlifting.

The only sports and disciplines without fixed quotas will be swimming, diving and athletics, which rely on qualifying standards. Sydney organisers expect 2,000 track and field athletes, 744 swimmers and 120 divers.

Boxing: A judge has agreed to release Oliver McCall from a Virginia prison on May 1st - almost six months early - if the former world heavyweight champion remains in a drug rehabilitation program.

McCall, jailed after his October 14th conviction for resisting arrest and assault and battery of a policeman, is serving a one-year sentence.

The boxer's past includes a series of run-ins with the law which he has blamed on his addiction to cocaine. He told Judge Charles Stone that he had now reached rock bottom.

Boxing promoter Don King testified on McCall's behalf, saying he will provide help to McCall in an Ohio training camp. McCall "wants to rededicate his life and redouble his efforts to being a productive citizen," said King. "I think this is the way of extending a helping hand".

Hockey: At the start of a weekend in which Irish hockey teams are involved in nine international engagements, the boys under-16 side are first into action when they meet England in the European Youth Trophy in Antwerp today. This inaugural tournament, like the first under-18 championship in Belfast (beginning tomorrow), presents a welcome challenge after four decades of competition restricted to the annual Home Countries matches.

The Irish under-16s, having squeezed into second position behind England in Cardiff 10 days ago, will do well if they can hold a place in the A division in Europe. Sharp finishing by David Roche and Amir Alipour may well lead to some success.

Ireland Under-16 (Squad): R Hanna (Wesley/Three Rock Rovers), A Seay (RBAI/NICS); A Alipour (Sandford Park/Pembroke Wanderers), C Campbell (St Columbanus/Bangor), K Carroll (Oatlands/Railway Union), C Clarke (Wallace HS/ Lisnagarvey), A Gill (RBAI/NICS), R Gormley (Sandford Park/Pembroke Wanderers)), G Greene (Kilkenny College), R Leonard (Bandon GS/Bandon), P Maguire (Wesley/ Three Rock Rovers), P McLaughlin (Bandon GS/Bandon), A Mills (Regent House/North Down) capt, D Roche (Wesley/Three Rock Rovers), A Walker (Wesley/YMCA), S Wolfe (Mayfield/Belvedere); coach: J Findlater; manager: A McMurray.

Pool A: Belgium, Netherlands, Scotland, Spain; Pool B: England, France, Ireland, Germany. Today: Ireland v England, 12.0; tomorrow: Ireland v France, 10.0; Saturday: Ireland v Germany, 10.0; Sunday: Crossover matches; Monday: Final placing matches.